Case Study

Lenovo Shamed for PCs Secretly Preinstalled with “Nefarious” Adware

Lenovo was lambasted in the press after security researchers revealed that the PC-maker was selling computers secretly preinstalled with “nefarious” adware that not only collected information about users’ online activity but also made encrypted web sessions vulnerable to attacks. The adware, from a company called Superfish, posed a sufficiently serious threat that the Department of Homeland Security warned Lenovo customers to remove it immediately. Lenovo’s actions not only damaged its reputation, but also exposed it to a class action lawsuit for “compromising user security and privacy.”